Billy Bragg Wins Prestigous Q Award, Meets the Queen

Esteemed Populist’s latest collaboration is with none other than Ludwig van Beethoven; new record on Anti- coming Spring 2008

The legendary Billy Bragg, de facto conscience of popular music in Britain and beyond, has been having one hell of a month. On October 8, he was presented with the 2007 Classic Songwriter award at Britain’s biggest and most respected music event, the Q Awards. As KT Tunstall introduced him, she said, "I wish he was my history teacher, I wish he was my big brother, I wish I could vote for him," and as Bragg made his way to the podium, Sir Paul McCartney took him by the hand and offered congratulations as the room rose in a standing ovation. In classic Bragg style, he used his short time at the microphone to bring attention to his latest endowment, Jail Guitar Doors (www.jailguitardoors.org.uk ), which provides musical equipment for those incarcerated in the U.K.

That evening, Bragg attended a gala performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The Queen was there to preside over the reopening of the newly refurbished arts center, and the evening culminated in what is essentially collaboration between Bragg and Beethoven: a performance of the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, replete with lyrics penned by Bragg, written to commemorate the re-opening.